Stewart Francke

Coming from the Michigan industrial city of Detroit, on to the bright lights of national stages, Stewart Francke’s creative work has impacted the lives of thousands who’ve heard his songs, witnessed him speaking or read his writing. In 2009, his hometown of Saginaw recognized his work by awarding him a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Saginaw County Arts Commission, for “the enjoyment and insight his songs have brought to so many in his hometown, home state and beyond.”

Stewart’s hope-filled, humorous speaking dates combine songs associated with his illness and recovery, illuminating his story of maintaining strength and faith. He’s been the keynote or featured speaker for GM, the Henry Ford Health system, Gilda’s Club, Michigan Oncology Nurses Association, Karmanos Cancer Institute, the Third Thursday Entrepreneur Series and numerous other functions.

In 2013, a memoir of his battle with cancer, What Don’t Kill Me Just Makes Me Strong, was published to strong reviews by San Francisco-based ebook publisher Untreed Reads. In 2006, Wayne State’s Ridgeway Press released Between The Ground & God, a collection of Stewart’s writing on music, life and Michigan living. The book won two 2007 National Indie Excellence Awards, and led to an invitation to read at the New York Book Festival.

His new CD, Midwestern: The Very Best Of Stewart Francke features the poignant “Summer Soldier,” recorded with Bruce Springsteen. Stewart’s been recognized by his peers through numerous Detroit Music Awards, including Best Artist, Songwriter & Album, totaling 13 awards. Hour Detroit readers voted him most popular musician 2002-2003. He was awarded a Creative Artist Grant by Artserve Michigan in 2004. Numerous cover stories and feature articles detailing Stewart’s music have appeared in regional, national and international publications.

A leukemia and bone marrow transplant survivor, Stewart has fused his music and cancer outreach, and was recognized by the Points Of Light Foundation in 2001 for his personal work in cancer patient support. The Stewart Francke Leukemia Foundation was presented the prestigious Partnership In Humanity Award by the Detroit Newspapers and he was named Volunteer of the Year by the National Marrow Donor Program in 2002. Stewart also was named as one of the Twilight Award winners in 2012 for his work in cancer care.

The SFLF has raised more than $200,000 since 1998, funding groups such as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Children’s Leukemia Foundation, Gilda’s Club, and the National Bone Marrow Transplant Link. A living endowment in Francke’s name exists at Karmanos Cancer Institute, with the express purpose of funding minority bone marrow searches. In 2002 Stewart formed Musician’s Outreach of Michigan (MOM), placing musicians of all genres in hospitals to perform for cancer patients and families.

TESTIMONIALS ABOUT STEWART FRANCKE:
“Stewart Francke is one of a kind. A talent that encompasses both songwriting and prose writing appears rarely. How much rarer then is a songwriter whose sensibility includes Johnny Cash and Gore Vidal, Yoko On and the Funk Brothers, marriage and mortality, race relations and cancer treatment? Standing courageously at the intersection of rock and soul music, influenced equally by Marvin Gaye and Brian Wilson, Francke possesses all the tools: A great voice, a vision that’s grand without being grandiose and an undying loveof sound for its own sake, along with an equally passionate engagement with everyday life and the people who live it. This music isn’t classic anything only because, like every real artist, Francke takes the world as he knows it and moves on his own course. Motor City Serenade is the most important blue-eyed soul record in a musical generation.” –Dave Marsh

“Yea, I’ve heard Stewart…he makes beautiful music.” – Bruce Springsteen

“Thank God for Stewart Francke. Thank God for his feeling, healing music, for the sweetness of his soul, the sincerity of his songs, the strength of his vision. His music is enriching, nourishing music — music as faith, music as celebration, music whose source is clear and joyful love.” — David Ritz, author of Ray, the Ray Charles Story.

“Stewart Francke is the best songwriter I’ve heard in 20 years.” — Mick Taylor, legendary guitarist & former member of the Rolling Stones

USA TODAY
STEWART FRANCKE – HEARTLESS WORLD
Detroit legend Francke releases his first new music since 2002. That’s quite a break, but he waited until he had an album full of great new music, and this is the result. Detroit is a hard town and known for its soul and gritty rock. Francke has both genres running through his veins and delivers a stunner. Mitch Ryder and Bruce Springsteen even get in some vocals on these compelling new songs. Old school rock for a new generation.

STEWART FRANCKE–HEARTLESS WORLD — Counterpunch
Call Stewart Francke a regional treasure, if you like. But what a region! The Detroit-based singer/songwriter/guitar-slinger grew up awash in the deep grooves of the Chicago blues and Motown R&B during what may well be the most creative era of American popular music. Francke has a richly-textured voice, a rockers Sam Cooke. He spent his early years as a bassist in blues bands and it was evidently a bountiful apprenticeship. Francke’s music seamlessly weaves blues and funk strands into infectious pop songs. I mean pop in the best sense, as in his 1995 hit “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” In 1998, Francke was diagnosed with leukemia. He waged a successful battle against the disease and became a vital voice in the movement for cancer awareness and a sane health care policy. The music deepened, too, as revealed in his CDs Swimming With Mercury and What We Talk Of When We Talk. Francke’s latest release is his most accomplished yet. Sure, the voice has some road miles on it, but that only enriches the music, which shifts from blue-eyed soul to hard-driving rock. These are brave songs about love in a time of war, about loss and survival amid the ruins of a once mighty city. Bruce Springsteen lends a gritty gravitas to “Summer Soldiers,” Francke’s song about alienated young soldiers caught in war.